Railroad-crossing gate



May r1 1926. 1 1 1,584,177

l B. JoHNsoN RAILROAD CROSSING GATE ,B19/ward azfcuw I I By www M ay 11 192s. Y 1,584,177

- B. JOHNSON RAILROAD CROSSING GATE Filed Jan. 18, 1926 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Vagina-6696" 'E' E /477`09/VEY Patented May 11, 19266 UNITED STATES BERNARD JOHNSON, OF BOYDELL, ARKANSAS.

`RAILROAD43335()SSINGr GATE. i

Application filed January This invention relates to automatic railroad crossing gates wherein the gates per se are automatically closed by a train approaching the crossing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic crossing gate of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in construction as well as efficient in operation.

The invention contemplates the provisiony means'embodying a yieldingly raised actu-l ating member in the form of a ramp onto which the flanges of the car wheels' are adapted to ride for causing depression of the ramp and, through connections with the gate, to cause the latter to close.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, Combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying crawings and claimed. l Y

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating a gate closing means constructed in accordance with the present invention and operatively associated with the tracks of a railway and an adjacent road crossing; p

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken upon line 3*-3 of Figure 2' Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken upon line 4-4`of Figure 2, and

drawn on a larger scale; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates the rails of a railroad track which is intersected by a road crossing as at 6, and in accordance with the present inven- 18, 192s. serial No. 82,145.

tion, a gate 7 is provided at each side of the track and adapted to be operated to close the crossing Vatthe respective sides of the track. Any suitable'form of gate may be employed in which provision is made for normally and yieldingly causing the gates to open, but as shown, the vertically swinging typeof gate may be provided. In this instance, each gate is pivoted near one end upon a transverse horizontal axis as at 8 provided at the upper end of a supporting post or upright 9, and vrigid with the pivoted end of the gate is a weight 10 somewhat heavier than the gate itself so that the latter is normally 'raised to position..

The mea-ns operated bythe car wheels for causing the-gates 7 to lower or close embodies la yieldably raised depressible ramp in the form of a hollow member open at its bottom andhaving a longitudinally arched upper iwall 11 onto the endsof which the flanges of the car wheels are adapted to ride, the ramp extending from -theinner side of one rail to the inner kside of the other `rail of the track as shown clearly in Figure 2.` The ramp is slidably fitted for vertical movement in the open upper end portion of -a hollow or pan-shaped base member 12 which is fitted between the rails and adjacent ties and suitably rigidly secured in place so that its upper end lies below the balls of the rails. The end walls of the base member 12 may be provided with external horizontal rigid flanges 13` adapted to rest upon adjacent ties and to be spiked to the latter as at 14 for rigidly securing the same. in place. The ramp `is preferably yieldingly raised to a position as shown in Figure 3 wherein the ends of the top wall 11 thereof are below the horizontal plane of the tread surfaces of the rails and the intermediate portion of the wall 11 is ositioned considerably above the tread surfaces thereof, by means of helical compression springs 15 arranged between theramp and the base member 12 at the corners 'of the latter. These springs are held in place by being disposed to encircle guide pins 16 rigid with and depending from-the top wall 11 of the ramp and slidably projecting into tubular guides 17 rigid with the corners of the bottom wall of the base `member 12 as a substantially vertical open or inoperative clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this way a double guiding means is provided for the ramp in its vertical m-ovement so as to effectively guard against binding in the operation ofthe ramp. Suitably journaled in the sides of the base member 12 and eX- tending transversely through the latter is a horizontal shaft 18 whose ends project outwardly beyond the outer sides of the track rails and have drums 19 fixed thereon. Secured upon the shaft 18 `within the base member 12 is a spur gear 20 which meshes with a larger spur gear21 secured upon a further transverse horizontal shaft 22 journaled in the base member 12 parallel with and to one side of and slightly below the shaft 18. A pitman 23 is disposed within the ramp and has its upper end pivoted to the underside of the top wall 11 of the rampy intermediate the sides and ends of the latter, and this pitman has its lower end pivoted to one sid-e of the larger gear 21 as shown clearly in Figures 3 and 4. It will thus be seen that the springs 15 normally raise the ramp so as to cause turning of the gear 21 in a clockwise direction and turning o-f shaft 18 in a counter-clockwise direction sothat the drums 19 are turned in the latter direction to a normal position, while, when the car wheels ride onto the top wall 11 of the ramp, the latter will be depressed against the action of the springs 15 for forcing downwardly on the pitman 23 and causing partial turning of the gear 21 so that the shaft 18 and drums 19 are turned in a clockwise direction. A flexible member or cable 24 is provided at each side of the track, and each cable is attached at one end to the drum 19 at the adjacent side of the track and to a furtherdrum 25 secured on the inwardly projecting end of the pivot shaft 8 of the gate 7 at the same side of the track. Thus, when the springs 15 raise the ramp the drums 19 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction to pay out the cables 24 thereon as the same are wound onto the drums 25 by the gates 7 swinging upwardly to an open position under the influence of the weights 10. On the other hand, as the wheels of the cars ride onto the top of the ramp the latter is depressed so as to cause the drums 19 to rotate for winding up the cables 24, and thereby causing the latter to unwind from the drums 25 so that the latter are caused to rotate for swinging the gates downwardly to a closed position. The gates will be maintained closed substantially until the entire ytrain passes the crossing or until the last Set of car wheels ride over the ramp, as it is noted that substantially as soon as one set of wheels leaves the ramp another set will ride onto the same so that intermittent opening and closing of the gate is unlikely.

In practice, lubricant will be freely used between the telescopically associated walls r of the ramp and the base member 12 so as to facilitate the sliding movement of the ramp, and it is apparent that the parts within the ramp and base will be effectively protected against damage as well as from the elements so as to require little attention or repair. The cables 24 may p ass around suitable guides or idlers 26 suitably supported at the lower ends of the uprights or posts 9 and then extend to the drums 25 so that a most desirable arrangement of the v vcables is had.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be'readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the in` vention as claimed.

IVhat I claim as new is 1. An automatic railroad crossing gate comprising gate members, means to normally yieldingly move said gate members to open position, and car wheel actuated means for positively causing the gates to close against the action of said yieldable means, said gate closing means embodying a yieldingly raised depressible ramp operatively connected to the gate members, the operative connection between the ramp and the gate members embodying ashaft having drums fixed thereon, means operatively connecting the shaft withthe ramp for causing rotation of the, shaft in one direction when the ramp is raised-and in the other direction when the ramp is depressed, and cables attached to and adapted to be wound upon the drums nd operatively connected to the gate memers.

2. In an automatic railroad gate of the character described, a hollow casing open at its top. and provided with means for facilitating rigid securing of the same between the rails of a railway track, a hollow ramp member slidably fitted in the top of the base member for vertical reciprocation and including an upwardly arched to wall adapted to extend from the inner side of one rail to the inner side of the other rail of the track whereby the wheels of cars may ride onto the ends thereof for causing its, depression,` and yieldable means interposed between the ramp. and the base member v for normally raisingl the ramp.

3. In an automatic railroad gat-e of the character described, a hollow casing open at its top and provided with means for facilitating rigid securing of the saine between the rails of a railway track, a hollow ramp member slidably fitted in the top of the base member for vertical reciprocation and including an upwardly arched top wall adapted to extend from the inn-er side of one rail to the inner side of the other rai" of the track whereby the wheels of cars may lli ride onto the ends thereof 'for causing its depression, and yieldable means interposed between the ramp and the base member l'or normally raising the ramp, guide pins rigid With and depending from the top of the ramp, tubular guides in the base member in which the lower ends oit the guide pins slidably project, said yieldable means comprising helical compression springs disposed about the guide pins' between the ramp and the base member.

4;. In an automatic crossing gate ot the character described, a ramp device embodying a stationary base, a yieldably raised ramp supported thereby, a shaft journaled transversely of the base, and a pitinan aryanged Within the ramp and base and pivoted at one end to the ramp and operatively connected at its other end to the shaft Whereby the latter is caused to rotate in one direction when the ramp is raised and in an opposite direction when the ramp lis depressed, the operative Aconnection between the pit man and shaft embodying a gear fixed on the shaft and having the other end of the pitman eccentrically pivoted thereto.

5. In an automatic crossing gate of the character described, a ramp device embodying a stationary base7 a yieldably raised ramp supported thereby, a shaft journaled transversely of the base, and a. pitman arranged Within the ramp and base and Operatively connected at one end to the ramp and at its other 'end to the shaft whereby the latter is cause-d to rotate in yone direction When the ramp is raised and in an opposite direction When the ramp is depressed, the operative connection between the pitman and shaft embodying a gear fixed on the shaft and having the other end of the pitman pivoted thereto, a second transverse shaft having a gear secured thereon in mesh with the lirst named gear, and Winding drums secured upon the last named shaft.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

BERNARD JOHNSON. 

